Tonight is the first game of the 2026 World Series. It’s being played in Milwaukee and that fact brings up a distant memory for me. Last time Milwaukee played in the World Series was 1982. Forty-four years ago. I know because I looked it up to confirm my memory.

I don’t know this because I ever lived in Wisconsin, or because I’m any kind of baseball fan.

It’s just that on that day in 1982 I was driving from my parents’ home in Alabama to my home in Hancock, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and traveling through Wisconsin. It’s a long drive, between Alabama and the UP, but for some reason I was feeling good and got into Wisconsin while it was still reasonably early. I figured I’d make it up to Green Bay before I stopped for the night.

Trust me. I was young and foolish.

I arrived in Milwaukee about two hours before the start of the first game of the World Series. I had no idea the World Series was starting that night. Even if I had known that, there’s no way I had any idea who was playing and I definitely didn’t know the game was a ball toss from the freeway I was on. The traffic was horrendous and I spent hours moving through game traffic before I could exit the north side of the city.

So when I hear where game one is tonight I can’t help but be transported back in time. I wonder if any of the other folks caught in that traffic remember that day in 1982. Probably not.

I have no baseball related images to insert into this post. So I’ll go find a couple images of Alabama and the UP.